


Not According to Plan

by SugahnSpyce



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Explosions, Friendship, Gen, Hallucinations, Implied/Referenced Torture, Imprisonment, Near Drowning, Some Blood-not too graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 22:47:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28625181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugahnSpyce/pseuds/SugahnSpyce
Summary: A routine inspection turns into a nightmare for Rex and Cody when Ventress imprisons them in their own base.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	Not According to Plan

The containment field crackled blue along Rex’s wrists, energy snapping at his ankles where he hung suspended in the holding cell. “How come these inspections never go according to plan?”

Cody paused long enough to respond with a wry smirk before he continued his pacing. 

“First the Rishi moon, then Laharns Prime, and now this?” Rex shook his head. “Next time, we let someone else handle it, yeah?” 

“Next time? You seem pretty confident we’ll make it out of this.”

“Let’s just say, I like our odds.”

Cody favored him with a skeptical eyebrow and a shake of the binders on his hands. “We’ve been captured by Dooku’s forces, stripped of our weapons, and thrown into a holding cell. How exactly are those good odds?” 

“Are you always this negative?” Rex teased. 

The doors hissed open. Ventress, flanked by two magna guards, entered. A 2-1B medical droid shuffled in behind, a tray with various vials, needles, and strips of bandages balanced in its spindly arms. Ventress came to a stop in front of Rex, eyeing him with smug satisfaction. 

“Well, gentlemen. Allow me to welcome you to your outpost. I do hope your journey wasn’t too unpleasant.” 

“You blasted us out of the sky,” Rex reminded dryly. 

Ventress went on as if he hadn’t spoken. “Sorry to keep you waiting. There were a few last minute preparations I had to complete.” Her gaze slid to Cody. “It’s rude to pounce on your hosts. Don’t even think about it.”

Cody released his tense posture but did not relax his guard. 

“It was so nice of you to keep to your schedule. I, for one, have been looking forward to this visit.”

“Enough of this,” Rex interrupted. “If I wanted to be forced to make pleasantries with people I can’t stand, I would have gone to Senator Taa’s Annual Gala. What do you want with us?”

Ventress put a hand to her chest in faux astonishment. “The lack of manners! Surely we can behave with civility toward one another.”

“I doubt civility is what you have in mind,” Cody said. “Why have you taken us prisoner? Why not just kill us?” 

“My dear, I wouldn’t dream of harming a hair on your pretty little head,” Ventress cooed. “You see, Obi-Wan and I have a sort of...understanding, if you will. I won’t jeopardize that by hurting his favorite pet.”

Cody grit his teeth. 

“But you,” she rounded on Rex, “enjoy no such privilege.” She snapped her fingers and the medical droid came forward. 

“You lay one finger on him and I swear I’ll-”

One of the magna guards jabbed its electrostaff into Cody’s middle, effectively silencing his threat. He doubled over with a groan. The droid planted a hand on his shoulder, keeping him from rising. 

“That’s better. You’re on your knees now. My favorite position for a man to be in,” Ventress purred. 

“You harm Rex and General Kenobi won’t be the only one you should be worried about,” Cody promised, glaring up at her. 

Ventress rolled her eyes. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this. But I’m already sick of your voice.” She nodded at the other guard. It took a length of bandage from the medical droid’s tray and threaded it between Cody’s jaws, yanking it tight and tying it behind his head. “This is what’s going to happen.” Ventress snatched his chin and brought their faces close together. “I’m going to inject your friend with enough slevispider venom to bring down a bantha. You’re going to watch. And when he’s all but dead, driven mad by the pain and begging for the end to come, you’re going to break. You’re going to give me the access codes to this outpost’s data banks, the frequency of your communications channel, and the location of the Republic fleet in this sector.” 

Cody’s eyes narrowed defiantly above the gag. 

“The only thing Commander Cody is going to give you is hell,” Rex cut in, looking first to Ventress and then to Cody. “You hear me, Cody? You don’t give this bizit a damn thing!”

“I’ll take that as my cue to begin,” Ventress smirked. 

The medical droid selected a syringe and jabbed it into Rex’s neck. Cody yelled in outrage but he was muffled by the gag. 

Rex grimaced before smoothing his expression into one of nonchalance. “Is that the best you can do? I was expecting something with a little more kick.”

“My dear captain, we’ve only just begun.”

00000

After a second dose of venom, Rex was unable to maintain his facade of indifference. His muscles shuddered sporadically, his breathing was labored, and sweat rolled from his bent head to drip with a sizzle onto the energy generator beneath his feet. The medical droid lifted his head. Rex’s eyes were glassy and flitted around the room without focusing on anything concrete. His lips moved, forming soundless words. The droid allowed his head to drop again. 

“The subject is progressing to the third stage, mistress.”

“Excellent,” Ventress crossed her arms and turned to Cody. “I can sense your anger, clone.”

Cody’s gaze burned under lowered brows. 

“But your anger is too spirited. Your will must be broken.” She signaled the medical droid. “Continue.”

The droid prepared the next syringe. Rex stirred as it approached. 

“No. No more. Get that thing away from me. No. No!”

When the droid stuck the needle into him again, he screamed. Cody surged to his feet. The magna guards wrestled with him, finally resorting to hitting him in the back with their staffs. Cody stumbled. Ventress snatched him by the upper arm, dragging him closer to where Rex was still screaming, writhing in his electric bonds. 

“Do you see the price of your defiance? Can you understand how futile your values are? What does loyalty to the Republic bring you, if not pain? Is it worth it? Is it worth watching your friends suffer and die for a galaxy that thinks of you as nothing more than expendable slaves?” 

Cody tore his eyes from Rex, meeting Ventress’s stare with a boldness she did not expect. She curled her lip and tossed him to the floor. 

“If I didn’t know better, I would say some of Kenobi’s infuriating faith in the triumph of good over evil has rubbed off on you. I’ll let you in on a little secret.” She crouched down to where he was pushing himself up. “Obi-Wan is wrong,” she whispered sing-song, in his ear. 

An explosion echoed somewhere in the compound. The room went dark. After a beat, red emergency lights illuminated the room with a pale glow. A phantom hand closed around Cody’s throat. Reflexively, he brought his bound hands up to claw at it as his airway became squeezed. 

“My scans indicate the explosion occurred near the landing platform. I calculate the probable cause to be enemy forces, perhaps sent to rescue the prisoners,” the medical droid said. 

“Kenobi,” Ventress growled, lowering her hand. 

The pressure on Cody’s throat eased. Before he could take a breath, a wave of power sent him flying across the room and into the far wall. Ventress ignited her double sabers. 

“You two, come with me.” She left the room, the magna guards following. 

Once the door closed behind them, Cody leaped to his feet. 

“Oh my. The prisoner requires sedation.” The medical droid withdrew its hand attachment back into its arm, replacing it with a needle one. 

Cody ducked under the outstretched arm and pivoted to end up behind the droid. He swung his hands over its head, hooking his binders under it and twisting. The head popped out of place, held by a few wires so it dangled down its back. The droid stumbled around, unable to function properly. Cody kicked its legs out from under it. It fell, sputtering about incorrect procedures. Though the binders limited the use of his hands, Cody didn’t hesitate to drag the gag down from his mouth. It coiled around his neck, like a Zygerrian’s pet asp. Cody rushed to kneel beside Rex, who was lying in the same position he had been when the power shut off and the containment field collapsed. 

“Rex! Rex, can you hear me?” 

Rex’s eyelids fluttered. Then flew open. He shoved Cody away and scrambled backward. 

“Easy, soldier. It’s just me. It’s Cody.” 

Panting heavily, Rex stared at him.

“We don’t have time for this, Rex. It won’t be long before that witch comes back. We have to move.”

“Yeah.” Rex shook his head, as if getting water out of his ears. “Yeah, of course. I don’t...don’t know what I - For a moment there, I thought you were - I thought I saw…”

“It’s the venom. It messes with your head. Now come on. They’re going to figure out it was a trick sooner rather than later. And we want to be long gone by the time they do.”

“That was you?” 

“You didn’t think someone could just take my weapons pack without me leaving a little surprise for them, did you?” Cody winked.

“You primed your detonators,” Rex realized.

Cody nodded. “I’m only sorry it took this long for them to go off.”

“Well Commander, I’m impressed.”

“Glad to hear it. Now, let’s go. Can you stand?”

Rex made an attempt. He fell back to the floor. “I don’t know if…” He glanced up at Cody with suppressed fear. “My legs. I can’t-”

“Here.” Cody leaned forward. “Put your arm around my shoulder.” 

Rex did and the two stumbled upright. Rex froze. 

“I’m guessing there’s not actually sand maggots crawling up the wall?”

“What?” 

Rex shook his head vigorously. “Damn venom.”

“I promise whatever you’re seeing, it’s not real. Just focus on me. I’ll get us out of here.” 

00000

The two clones, one leaning on the other, made their way out of the detention block. Cody led the way down the corridor, going the opposite direction from Ventress. It was the longer route but he wanted to put as much distance as possible between them and their captor. 

“So what’s your plan?” Rex asked as they ducked into a supply closet outside of the detention block. 

Cody lowered Rex into a seated position against the door. “What makes you think I have a plan?”

“You always have a plan,” Rex panted, grateful for the brief rest. 

“I thought this time I’d take a page from your manual. You know, improvise,” Cody replied distractedly, shuffling through the various crates lining the shelves with awkward movements. 

“Great timing.” Rex brushed sweat out of his eyes.

After finding what he was looking for, Cody turned around hesitantly. “Do you think you can manage one of these without me losing a hand?” 

Rex gestured for Cody to pass him the cutting torch. “We won’t know until we try it.” When Cody didn’t move, Rex rolled his eyes. “It’s my legs that are messed up, not my hands.”

“Force help me,” Cody mumbled, reluctantly giving Rex the tool and sitting cross legged in front of him. He held his hands out as far from his body as he could. 

Rex took a deep breath, tried to steady his hands, and lunged toward Cody with the flame. To his credit, Cody didn’t flinch. Much. 

“Glad to have those off.” Cody rubbed his wrists and tested his range of motion. 

“We should keep moving.”

After doing a quick reconnaissance of the nearby hallways to ensure there were no droid patrols heading in their direction, Cody came back for Rex and the two resumed their   
escape. 

“Where are we going?” Rex asked. 

“I’m sure Ventress knows she’s been tricked by now. She’s probably already discovered we’re gone from the holding cell too. So I figure we circle around behind her, get to the landing platform and see what’s left.”

“See what’s left? That doesn’t sound promising.”

“Who’s being negative now?” Cody teased. 

00000

“Are we almost there?” Rex’s feet were dragging, slowing their progress to a near crawl. 

“You sound like a cadet,” Cody said. “Yeah, we’re almost there. One foot in front of the other, brother.”

The landing platform was just ahead, at the end of the stairs. To the right, smoke lingered, evidence of the blast that had served as a distraction. It was difficult to maneuver Rex’s increasingly non-cooperative body down the steps but Cody managed, using the wall to steady them. They reached the base with no further injury. 

“Leaving so soon?” 

Cody spun around to see Ventress at the top of the staircase. Behind her, a battalion of battle droids was assembling. 

“Without even saying goodbye?” The assassin drew her sabers. 

Cody slammed his palm against the door controls and threw himself through the opening, dragging Rex with him. A barrage of blaster fire followed them outside. Cody swept his eyes across the deck. Battle droids surrounded the closest shuttle, fumbling up the loading ramp with precariously balanced stacks of crates. A bolt whizzed past his shoulder   
and Cody found shelter in a nearby pile of cargo. 

“Look, sergeant. Clones.” One of the droids by the ship pointed at the pair. 

“Blast them!”

The first droid waved his hands. “No, wait! They’re hiding by the-” An explosion. “-fuel tanks.”

Cody was thrown forward, a blast of heat at his back. For a sickening moment, he spun through empty air. Then he smacked into the river swirling below the outpost. Water closed over his head, blocking light and air. The current snatched him, tossing him violently through the tumbling waters. He kicked madly, struggling until he finally broke the surface. He gasped. The water shoved him under again. Sticks, rocks, and other debris battered him. Disoriented once more, he blindly pushed upward. He got his head above the water and spied an upcoming rock jutting out from the shoreline. Using the current to his advantage, he allowed himself to be drawn in that direction. When he had nearly reached it, he angled toward it, using a few powerful strokes to carry him the rest of the way. A cleft in the rock provided shelter from the raging of the river and Cody allowed himself a few deep breaths. 

Something white flashed past him, caught up in the current. Without hesitation, Cody plunged back into the water. The merciless river yanked him forward and he didn’t resist its pull. He swam forward, keeping an eye on the beacon of white bobbing just ahead of him. With a couple more propelling kicks, he reached his target. He curled an arm around Rex’s ribs and began tugging him toward the shore. But the river was strong and it seemed intent on ripping Rex away from him. While securing his grip, Cody took his eyes off am upcoming bend in the river. When he looked up, it was too late. A fallen tree lay across the river, directly in their path. There was nothing he could do. The full force of the current slammed him into the tree. 

Pain flared in his inner thigh, washing his vision black. Glancing down, he discovered himself impaled on a branch. It had entered one of the weak points in his armor. The frothy foam of the river took on a pinkish hue. He diverted his attention back to Rex. The current held the captain in place against the trunk, miraculously avoiding the many other branches. Steeling himself for what he needed to do, Cody clenched his jaw and grabbed hold of the closest branches. Then he pulled his leg away. The branch tore his leg further as he extricated himself. A cry slipped past his restraint and Cody bit off the end of the sound. With a final tug, he was free. He sagged in the water, almost losing his hold on the tree. Collecting himself, he planted his uninjured leg against the trunk and pulled himself up. He slid back down into the water. Growling in frustration, he tried again. And again. Until he finally climbed up onto the trunk, out of the water’s reach. He sat still for a moment, catching his breath before lowering his chest to the bark and stretching his hand out for Rex. 

“Grab my hand!”

The rush of water drowned out his words. Cody yelled louder.

“Rex, grab my hand!” 

Rex roused, coming out of a dazed state. He stared uncomprehendingly at the outstretched hand. He followed the line of the arm up to Cody’s desperate face, and it was then that he latched on. Cody tugged him up, Rex assisting with whatever handholds he could manage on the slippery moss-covered bark. Crying out in pain and effort, Cody gave one last heave. Rex cleared the top of the trunk, ending up next to Cody on the tree. Cody hung onto consciousness just long enough to make sure Rex was safe. 

He woke a few seconds later to Rex’s concerned face hovering over his. The situation hadn’t improved in the time he was out. They were still trapped on a tree, in the middle of a river, being hunted by Separatist forces. 

“You’re bleeding.”

And he was bleeding. 

“Are you bleeding?”

Was he bleeding? 

“After all the crap I’ve been seeing lately, I’m not sure.”

He sure felt horrible enough for the bleeding to be real. Scraping together the last of his strength, he hoisted himself back into sitting. Sure enough, his leg had a hole the size of a Rodian’s eye. Blood was leaking from it, dripping down the muddied exterior of his armor. Rex reached over and poked it. Cody let loose a few words he would never dare say around General Kenobi. Rex lifted his hands in surrender, looking both surprised and apologetic.

“What in all the Sith’s hells was that for?” Cody barked. 

“Had to make sure it was real,” Rex said. 

Cody glared but there was no bite to it. Rex leaned forward and Cody leaned back. “What are you doing now? Making sure my face is real?”

“Hold still, will you?” Rex undid the strip of cloth still knotted at Cody’s neck. “At least we can put this to good use.” He repurposed the gag as a tourniquet. Satisfied that his handiwork would keep his friend from bleeding to death, Rex turned to look out at the river. “So what do we do now?”

Cody sank onto his back, keeping his wounded leg straight. He shut his eyes and exhaled through his nose. “I got us this far. Your turn.”

“Ventress and her clankers are bound to come looking for us.” 

Cody hummed. 

“And we can’t sit out on this log all night.”

Again, the humming. 

“We could try to find a place to camp in the woods, at least for the night,” Rex suggested. 

Cody didn’t bother opening his eyes. “With neither of our legs working right? Good luck with that.” 

“We could get on General Skywalker’s shuttle.”

“How long until that venom works its way out of your system?” 

Rex smacked the bottom of his boot. “No, I mean we could get on General Skywalker’s shuttle.”

If it hadn’t been for the noise of repulsor engines overlaying the end of that sentence, Cody would have thought him mad. As it was, he jolted upright. In the darkening sky above them, the silhouette of the Twilight inched closer to them. 

“I don’t believe it,” Cody murmured. 

When the ship was close enough, the rear opened and the ramp slid out with Ahsoka standing on the end to help them in. 

“Why don’t these inspections ever go as planned?” she called.


End file.
